Feeder for furnaces.



L. P. BOLANDER.

FEEDER FOR FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED 22124, 1908.

Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS P. BOLANDER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FEEDER FOR FURNACES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis P. BOLANDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feedersfor Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates more particularly to an improved feeder forautomatically de livering shavings to what is known as a Dutch oven, orthat type of oven wherein the furnace is located in advance of theboiler, although the feeder is equally as well adapted for the deliveryof shavings to fur naces generally.

To comprehend the invention reference should be had to the accompanyingsheet of drawings, wherein is illustrated a side elevation of thefeeder, shavings bin, feed stack, and furnace, the parts, excepting thecasing for the worm feed shaft, being part sectioned.

In the drawings the numeral 1 is used to designate the furnace proper,and 2 the bin for the shavings, which bin is located a distance from thefurnace and at a higher ele vation. Immediately above and communi eatingwith the interior of the furnace is situated the feed stack 2, intowhich the shavings are delivered from the bin 2. Con nection between thestack 2 and the shavings bin 2 is made by means of the casing 3, withinwhich casing works the shaft 3, carrying the spiral blades 4. This shaftwith its blades constitutes a worm shaft for forcing by its rotationshavings through the cas ing 3. One end of the said worm feed shaft isextended into the shavings bin 2, being supported therein by the bearingbrackets 4. The opposite end of the shaft 3, is extended through thestack 2, and is supported by the bearing bracket 5, located outside ofthe said stack 2. To this end of the shaft 3 is s cured the pinion 5,which pinion meshes with the gear 6 secured to the drive shaft 6, whichshaft is driven to impart rotation to the worm feed shaft by anysuitable form of drive mechanism.

To prevent possible back firing of the flame from the furnace throughthe stack 2 into the shavings bin 2, there is located within the saidstack 2 an upper hinged gate 7, which gate is suspended from theSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 24, 1908.

Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

Serial No. 417,241.

lower end of the inclined plate 7 within the stack. This gate normallyholds closed the upper chamber 8 of the passage-way 8 for the shavings,the lower end of the said gate resting on the fixed inclined deflectorplate 8 which plate is arranged at an opposite inclination to the plate7. The gate 7 is held against the plate or wall 8 by means of the weight9, adjustable on the arm 9,

outwardly extended from the hinged gate 7.

To the lower edge of the deflector plate 8 is hinged the gate 10, whichnormally rests against the face of the inclined plate 10 to close thelower portion of the passage way 8. This plate 10 is arranged at anopposite inclination to the plate 8 consequently a staggered passage-wayis formed for the travel of the shavings through the feed stack 2. Likethe hinged gate 7, there is extended from the hinged gate 10 an arm 11,on which is adjustably secured the weight 11. it will be noted that theinclined Walls will serve to break the fall of the fuel and coact withthe hinged gates to prevent back firing. The inclined plate 10 ishingedto the inner face of the stack 2, and the lower edge portionthereof rests or bears against the inclined shouldered portion 12 of theslide plate 12, which plate works through a suit able guide opening inthe stack 2, and rests on the upper surface of the furnace 1. This slideplate 12 controls the feed opening 9 leading into the furnace 1. Thesaid slide plate 12 is moved inwardly and outwardly by the handle 12extended into the furnace room 13. The weights 9 and 11 are so adjustedrelative to the arms 9 and 11, as to slightly overbalance the hingedgates 7 and 10, in order to hold the same normally in a perpendicularposition to close the chamber 8 and the lower portion of the passage-Way8, respectively against the escape of shavings, until the weight of theaccumulated shavings is sufficient to overcome the action of the weights9 and 11, when the said gates are forced open to permit the shavings toescape. I

In order that the casing 3 for the worm shaft may be readily cleaned incase the same becomes clogged or choked, there is provided a hingedsection 1%, which, when opened permits of a suitable tool being employedto free the stoppage. Said casing is also provided with a downwardlyswinging hinged section 14, which, when opened permits of a smallquantity of shavings falling from within the casing 3 onto the floor ofthe furnace or fireroom 13, to be used by the fireman as a kindling bywhich to start the lire within the furnace 1.

It will be observed that the portion of the worm feed shaft extendedwithin the bin 2 works freely within the mass of shavings containedtherein, no housing or boxing being provided for such exposed portion ofthe said worm feed shaft. By thus allowing of such portion of the wormfeed shaft working free within the mass of shavings, the same forms itsown shell-so to speak, and overcomes clogging at such point, which wouldoccur in case of a housing or boxing being employed, due to the factthat small blocks of wood contained in the mass of shavings jammingwithin such housing or boxing, which, if permitted, damages the bladesof the worm feed shaft. As such portion of the worm feed shaft is freewithin the shavings bin, blocks of wood too large to be carried throughthe casing 3, are forced to the bottom of the bin 2 through the body ofshavings, and are thus prevented from entering into the receiving end ofthe casing for the worm feed shaft. The shavings delivered by the wormfeed shaft from the shavings bin 2, through the casing 3 are graduallyand slowly deposited into the u per chamber .8 of the stack 2, being conned therein until the weight of the accumulated mass is sufficient toforce open the hinged gate 7, when the load or charge is deposited intothe passage-way 8, being guided by the inclined plate 10 against therear face of the gate 10. As soon as the shaving deposited from thereceiving chamber 8 into the passage-way 8 is suflicient in weight toovercome the resistance ofiered by the swinging gate 10, the said gateis forced open and the shavings are released and escape into the furnace1 through the controlled feed opening 9 The resistance offered by therespective gates 7 and 10 is so regulated that one gate is held closedwhile the other gate is opened, which provides an obstructed passage-wayand prevents the flame from the furnace back-firing into the shavingsbin 2.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be protected by Letters Patent is- 1. In a fuel feeder of thecharacter described the combination of a stack adapted to be applied toa furnace, a plate secured at its upper end to the inner wall of thestack and projecting inwardly and downwardly from said wall, anauxiliary plate secured at its upper end to the opposite wall of saidstack at a point below the connection of said first mentioned plate, andprojecting inwardly and downwardly from said opposite wall, and anautomatically operable movable gate bridging the space between saidplates. I

2. In a fuel feeder an elongated upright stack, a plurality of plateswithin the stack projecting alternately from opposite sides of thestack, and a plurality of gates, each gate being hinged near its upperend to one of said projecting plates and normally contacting at itslower end with the succeeding oppositely projecting plate below.

3. In a fuel feeder of the character described, the combination of afeed stack adapted to be applied to a furnace, an inclined plateprojecting from one side of the stack and therewithin to a point beyondthe center thereof, a similar inclined plate projecting from theopposite side of the stack and spaced vertically from the firstmentioned inclined plate and overlapping the latter, and an adjustablegate extending from one plate to the other, and adapted to be operatedautomatically by the falling fuel.

4. In a fuel feeder of the character described, the combination with afurnace of a feed stack communicating therewith and having a pluralityof oppositely inclined plates arranged at different horizontal levelstherein and gates, each gate being hinged near its upper end to one ofthe said inclined plates and normally contacting at its lower end withthe succeeding oppositely inclined plate below.

5. In a fuel feeder of the character described, the combination of afeed stack adapted to be applied to a furnace and hav:

ing a plurality of oppositely inclined plates arranged at differenthorizontal levels therein, and gates, each gate being hinged near itsupper end, to one of said inclined plates, and means for normallyholding said gates in closed position while permitting the same tooperate automatically to discharge the fuel content in the stack, saidmeans including adjustable weights, one for each gate.

6. In a fuel feeder of the character described, the combination with afurnace of a vertically arranged fuel feed stack connected thereto,means for preventing back firing in the stack comprising a movableinclined plate mounted within the stack, and a movable gate also mountedwithin the stack, the plate and gate being constructed and arranged tocontact and constitute together a closure for the stack, and the gatebeing automatically operable by the falling fuel to drop the contents,and means for adjusting the plate to regulate the delivery.

7. In a fuel feeder of the character described, the combination with afurnace of a feed stack communicating therewith and having a pluralityof oppositely inclined plates arranged at different horizontal levelstherein, and a plurality of gates, each gate being hinged near its upperend to one of said inclined plates and normally contacting at its lowerend with the succeeding oppositely inclined plate below, and the lowermost inclined plate being adjustable.

8. In a fuel feeder of the character described, the combination with afurnace of a feed stack communicating therewith and having a pluralityof oppositely inclined plates arranged at different horizontal levelstherein, and a plurality of gates, each gate being hinged near its upperend to one of the said inclined plates and normally contacting at itslower end with the succeeding oppositely inclined plate below, thelowermost inclined plate being adjustable and means eX- tending withoutthe stack for adjusting the same.

9. In fuel feeder of the character described, the combination with afurnace, of a fuel stack communicating therewith, of means forregulating the feed opening from the stack into the furnace, inclinedplates arranged within the stack and projecting alternately fromopposite sides of the stack and overlapping to form a staggered passagefor the fuel through the same, hinged gates for controlling the flow offuel through the staggered passage, said hinged gates being pivoted adacent their upper ends to the inclined plates and contacting at theirlower ends with the succeeding inclined plate below, adjustable devicesfor holding the said gates closed normally, and a worm feed shaft forsupplying fuel from the holding receptacle to the feed stack.

10. In a fuel feeder of the character described, the combination of afeed stack, adapted to be applied to a furnace, inclined plates withinthe feed stack and projecting alternately from opposite sides of thefeed stack and overlapping to form a staggered passageway for the fueland automatically operable hinged gates one arranged intermediate eachof said overlapping plates and contacting with the adjacent platethereabove and therebelow for controlling the feed of fuel from oneplate to the other.

11. In a fuel feeder the combination with a furnace, of a verticallyarranged feed stack communicating with the furnace, a fuel storage bin,horizontally spaced from said stack and adjacent the upper end thereof,the stack and bin having alined openings in their adjacent walls, anelongated horizontally extending tubular casing sleeved in the saidalined openings in the stack and bin, a screw conveyer in the casingextending therebeyond in the bin, an inclined plate within the stackarranged to extend beyond the discharge end of the horizontal case andin the path of the falling fuel, a gate pivoted at its upper end to saidinclined plate and an op positely disposed inclined plate within thestack with which the gate contacts.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS P. BOLANDER. Witnesses N. A. AoKnR, D. B. RICHARDS.

